


Scenes with Loki

by Smackofjellyfish



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Consent is Sexy, Eventual Smut, F/M, Love, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 01:00:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12806151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smackofjellyfish/pseuds/Smackofjellyfish
Summary: In which our somewhat curmudgeonly heroine, Sera, is befriended by Thor, who accidentally blows up her apartment building. Needing a place to write and, you know, live, she heads to the Avengers’ headquarters. Once there Sera, who generally takes no shit, meets an attractive yet irritating god who happens to be full of it. All she wants is a quiet place to write. All he wants is to be… loved. And they both want to have sex with each other. A lot.





	1. Introduction, Or, Life is Strange

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t even know when this takes place. I haven’t seen all of the Marvel movies, so I could be missing something important—consider it an alternate universe if necessary. It’s some undetermined time when Loki has become a reluctant part of the Avengers, and they all live together off and on and save the world occasionally. Which would be amazing and I would totally go stay with them on a writing retreat.
> 
> I wrote this as practice for certain aspects of writing an unrelated, original full-length romance novel, so if it’s a little disjointed, that’s because it really is a bunch of sketches. And Loki here is kind of a mix of the actual movie character and just whatever I needed to work on, though I’ve tried to get his characterization more or less right. (A story true to his characterization would probably be a lot of fun to write, but would definitely not be within the romance genre…)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who can distinguish darkness from the soul?” — William Butler Yeats
> 
> How did she even get here. For the love of God, how.

 

Sera supposed there were people with lives more bizarre than hers, but at this moment how that could possibly be true escaped her. The series of choices that had led her to where she was today had seemed perfectly reasonable at the time, and yet she now felt as if she was standing on the threshold of… of what, she was not entirely sure. She had just been living her life, really, minding her own business. Writing. Publishing where possible. Writing some more.

Occasionally having some semblance of a social life.

Possibly that is where she had gone wrong. She should have stayed in her apartment. Made no effort to be friendly. Remained inside at all times, where it was safe. No superheroes. No gods.

Each step she had taken over the past few months had seemed rational enough, but in hindsight it now appeared as if those steps had been inching her toward a cliff. And now she had fallen over the edge.

She sighed. While Sera loved drama in her writing, in her daily life she disliked it, disliked when she herself was needlessly dramatic. She needed to get a grip. This wasn’t a cliff, it was an opportunity. A generous opportunity offered by a friend she had made through the aforementioned attempts to be friendly. Friendliness was not Sera’s strongest attribute, at least not with strangers, but she had tried. She had made a friend. He was also a god, unfortunately, but these things happen. She guessed.

He had offered her exactly what she required: Peace. A place to live, for now, which she desperately needed. A place to write where she could have her own room. There was only one catch: The room was located at the Avengers’ headquarters, which was inhabited by a group of strangers. A group of strangers with superpowers. The cliff loomed.

Sera tugged at her long, dark braid as she walked through the door. A nervous habit. She entered the enormous entrance hall and glanced up at her companion. Way up. Thor was nothing if not large. And enthusiastic. And stubborn when he thought he knew best. And, she told herself, a wonderful friend.

Several months ago Sera had decided that she needed to get out more. Maybe even try to make some new friends. So, each morning she had packed up her laptop and writing notebooks and walked to the local coffee shop. She made herself chat with the baristas as she ordered her drink, she forced herself to talk to the regulars who came to recognize her, and then she would settle down to write at a table.

 _See_ , she told herself, _socializing. I can do this_. It did not come easily to Sera, and less so in the past year. A series of bad relationships and an erstwhile best friend who had slept with her boyfriend had left her feeling even more antisocial than usual. She had also lost a number of her friends in the aftermath of that particular breakup, as people took sides.

However, she had begun to suspect after a good few months of generally refusing to leave her apartment that total solitude was a little unhealthy. And so she ventured out. Cautiously.

One morning, as she was sitting lost in thought at a table in the coffee shop, she was interrupted by the thud of an enormous man sitting heavily in the chair across from her. The entire room shook.

Sera looked up and glared at him. He grinned back at her and saluted her with a huge cup of coffee.

“Coffee! A truly remarkable human invention,” he exclaimed. Then he looked concerned. “I mean, coffee. It is good. It is a fine drink. For us humans.”

Sera rolled her eyes. “I know who you are. I do watch the news.” She had, of course, seen the group of strange people called the Avengers on the news many times, usually followed by mass destruction. Sera wanted no part of that mess.

She looked back down at her notebook. But Thor kept talking, and talking, apparently encouraged by her minimal response. Even her most misanthropic glare did not stop him. He chattered happily, asking her questions about herself which she grudgingly answered.

Eventually he stopped, and set down his coffee. He leaned forward.

“You are lonely.”

Sera tried glaring at him again.

“I have seen you each day in this place,” he continued. “You are looking for something. And you are always alone. It makes me sad, to see a young woman such as yourself appear so resigned to being solitary.”

Sera opened her mouth to respond, indignant, but Thor held up a giant hand.

“No,” he said. “If you wish for me to leave, I will. But I sensed that you could use a friend. That is all.”

Sera stared at him for some time. _I mean_ , she thought, _he’s even weirder than I am. So there’s that. And he’s nice. And I did commit to attempting to be social. Making friends. Maybe..._

Sera sighed. She felt a vague sense of impending doom, but she shoved it aside. _Friends_ , she thought. _I can do this._

And so she continued to meet Thor for coffee most mornings, and to her surprise they did become friends. He was an excellent confidant, and she enjoyed hearing about his—utterly, fantastically insane—life, his background and home, his friends. Occasionally he would disappear for a few days, explaining later that various missions pulled him away.

And then one day, on one of those missions, Thor accidentally blew up her apartment building. Thankfully the residents had been evacuated first, and Sera had even had time to grab her writing notebooks and a backpack full of clothes. Just in case. She had known Thor long enough by that time to always be prepared. Afterward, he had found her, beside himself at the destruction of her home—even though the mission had, of course, saved the world. Again. Thor insisted that he make it up to her, provide her with a place to live, to write. Undisturbed.

While Sera was grateful for the offer, she had spent enough time with him and heard enough about his friends to suspect that his idea of undisturbed was somewhat different from hers. But really, she had few other options. She would just have to cope.

She walked forward through the hall.


	2. An Unpleasant Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Make bright the arrows, O peaceful and wise! Gather the shields against surprise.” — Edna St. Vincent Millay
> 
> Everyone’s really nice in Avengers-land. Except Loki, who is a pain in the ass. Obviously.

Sera and Thor entered an enormous, modern living room filled with comfortable couches and chairs. Several sets of all-glass french doors on the far side led out to a garden which glowed red in the sunset. Sera recognized most of the people sitting around the room chatting with each other from Thor’s stories. He had explained to her that some of the Avengers lived in the headquarters full time, while others came and went as needed, living their own lives outside of the group. At any given time there was usually a handful in residence.

Sera seemed to have been expected by the others, but she still felt uncomfortable with their curious scrutiny. She had never felt comfortable around strangers. Around people. But she smiled and made an effort. _Be nice, Sera_ , she thought. _Make an effort, and the rest of the time you can have some peace._

Thor introduced her to everyone present: to Tony, Vision, Steve, Clint, Bruce, and Natasha. She knew their stories, but they seemed even more overwhelming in person. She also met Tony’s girlfriend Pepper, who she knew was a regular human and no superhero, but who seemed such a part of their world as to be like them.

Thor finally led her to the pale, dark-haired man sitting apart by the corner window. He was the only one who had not risen when they entered the room, although she had felt his eyes on her as Thor introduced her around. Now he finally stood, looking Sera up and down thoroughly. He was almost as tall as Thor, but with none of the open warmth she appreciated in her friend. He said nothing until Thor cleared his throat and nudged him with his elbow.

“A new girlfriend, Thor?” the man said with a decided sneer in his voice.

Thor rolled his eyes. “No, a friend.” He paused. “I realize you are not familiar with that concept.”

The man’s startlingly blue eyes darkened, and his chin rose a notch. _Oh_ , Sera thought, _that hit a nerve_.

Thor sighed. “Sera, this is my brother, Loki. He’s rude, irritating, and occasionally very dangerous. I apologize in advance for him. You need not have to have anything to do with him. In fact, I recommend that you do not.”

 _Aha, so this is the brother_ , she thought. Thor had spoken of him only a few times, and Sera sensed that the relationship was strained, but not without affection. At least on Thor’s side.

Thor turned back to Loki. “Sera is a writer. She needs a quiet place to write, where no one she knows will bother her. I _did_ tell everyone she was coming, but I am sure you were not paying attention. She will be spending some time with us, and I expect you to be nice.”

Loki smirked at at Thor. “Oh, of course, _brother_. You can count on me.”

He turned his full attention on Sera, his icy eyes piercing hers. He was extraordinarily handsome, but almost the polar opposite of his blond brother, and Sera sensed something dark under the surface. 

“My dear,” he said. “Welcome to our happy home. I do hope you will feel as if you can ask me for anything you may need during your stay. _Anything_.” 

He took her hand and smiled in what Sera assumed was intended to be a charming manner. _Lucky for me_ , she thought, _I can spot a liar a mile away._

“And if you need an interesting subject to write about,” he continued, “may I suggest myself? I cannot think of anyone more interesting. I’d be happy to tell you anything you would like, anytime you like.” 

Loki bowed and kissed the hand in his grasp, and Sera was surprised by the warm, prickly feeling his lips caused, as if a bolt of electricity shot up her arm. She schooled her face into a neutral expression with some effort, and pulled her hand away.

Loki’s eyebrows rose as he stood upright again, and Sera was gratified to see a slightly perplexed expression on his face. _This one is used to having his own way with women_ , she thought.

“Thank you, no,” she said. “I write true stories, not fairy tales.” She turned back to Thor, who burst into laughter.

“That’s my girl,” he said, laughing at his brother. He patted Sera on the back, the force of his giant hand nearly knocking her over. “Do not put up with him.”

Sera realized that everyone in the room had been watching the encounter with great interest, and she glanced around uncomfortably. She noticed several people give Loki unfriendly looks, and she wondered at that. _I suppose they tolerate him because he is Thor’s brother_ , she thought. A sad idea, merely being tolerated rather than liked. Sera could sympathize to a degree, as an occasionally difficult person herself. She shook her head. No. She did not want to sympathize with that man at all.

Pepper beckoned her to sit with them, and Sera thankfully accepted. Thor stayed in the corner to speak with Loki, who had thrown himself back down on his chair, looking for all the world like a sulking toddler. Sera joined the conversation around her. Everyone seemed enthusiastic to talk to her, now that she had put Loki in his place. She frowned inwardly. So much animosity toward him. That would be hard to live with, no matter how deserved. 

The others in the room appeared to have an insatiable appetite for hearing about life as a “normal human,” as they referred to Sera. She told them about her not particularly exciting routine, her former apartment, her few friends, her writing. They all clamored to be allowed to read some of her poems and essays, and she promised to share. She discovered that they spent much of their time between missions training and studying, and socializing primarily with each other. It’s like a superhero college dorm, Sera thought. She found herself oddly comfortable in the company of these strange people. They all held extraordinary superpowers, she knew, but somehow she was the interesting one to them. _This isn’t so bad_ , she thought. _I will be able to live with these people, and I’ll have my peace and quiet while they’re off… doing whatever they do._

Thor joined them after a few minutes and the conversation continued amiably for some time. The only sour note to the evening was her painful awareness of Loki brooding silently in the corner. She did not look over at him, but she knew his eyes were on her. She could feel his gaze from across the room.

“Don’t mind him,” Natasha whispered to her at one point. “He’s just like that. Although usually he just leaves and goes to his room, or for a walk in the dark. Interesting that he would stay tonight,” she threw Sera a curious glance. 

Eventually it grew late, and most people wandered off to their rooms. 

“Well,” said Thor. “Let me show you to your room. It’s just up the stairs and down the hall—I hope you will find it comfortable and good for your writing.”

Sera stood and opened her mouth to respond, but a voice behind her interrupted her.

“I will show her, brother.” Loki stepped to Sera’s side—she had not heard him walk toward them—and placed a hand on her arm. She again felt a warm, prickly sensation, and realized that it was not unpleasant. At all. She glanced up and he grinned down at her, a brilliant, rather predatory smile. Sera was utterly dazzled for a moment, then took a deep breath and forced herself to respond to his smile with an unimpressed expression.

“Loki…” Thor said warningly. “That will not be necessary.”

“But, brother,” Loki responded in an innocent voice. “You told me to be nice. And here I am—” he gestured grandly at himself and at Sera, “being nice. You cannot possibly find fault.”

Thor raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed. “Loki, we don’t have time to discuss your faults, many as they are.”

Again Sera saw Loki’s expression darken, a slightly hurt look in his eyes. She decided to be diplomatic. Peace, she thought.

“It’s fine,” she said. She turned to Loki. “I’d be grateful if you would show me the way.”

He smiled wolfishly again and tightened his grip on her arm as he led her out of the room, before releasing her. She could just see Thor standing behind them, frowning.

Loki strode in front of her, and Sera had to hurry to keep up. He took the stairs two at a time and then turned at the top to face her. He paused, a strange smile on his pale face. He loomed over her, his tall frame made taller and more imposing by the stairs.

Sera caught her breath. _Lord, he is beautiful_ , she thought. _And to be avoided at all costs, if possible_. 

“Hurry up, human,” Loki taunted. “Or my brother will believe I have had my wicked way with you. He does so love to believe the worst in me.”

His gaze roamed slowly from her feet, along her body, and to her face, not missing one inch. Sera felt exposed, as if he could see right through her clothes—through to her deepest thoughts and desires. She felt herself blush along the same route his eyes had traveled. _Ugh, I never blush_ , she thought. 

Loki smirked and turned to continue along the hallway. He stopped a few doors down, propping an elbow on the wall and pushing the door open with one finger. He smiled again.

“Here you are, my lady. Your chamber.” He nodded further down the hall. “Mine is toward the end. I thought you might like to know that.”

Sera waited for him to move away from the door, but he remained there, that disturbing smile on his face. She was forced to slide her body past his in order to enter the room. She turned around to shut the door, and he raised his eyebrows suggestively as he looked down at her. She took a deep breath. Then she poked him in the chest with her finger. To her surprise, Loki started back an inch, as if shocked by her touch. He stilled, staring down at her with what she could have sworn was uncertainty.

Sera shook her head. She would not feel sympathy for this man. He was clearly a player, a bully. _A liar_ , a voice inside her whispered. She looked firmly up at him and poked him again.

“I am not interested in you, or your lies, or anything… else,” she looked him up and down as he had done to her, “you may or may not have to offer.”

She turned and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. She realized she was shaking. 

_If I want peace here_ , she thought, _I’m going to have to work for it_.


	3. A Meeting of the Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “A peace is of the nature of a conquest; for then both parties nobly are subdued, and neither party loser.” — Shakespeare, Henry IV pt. 2

Sera settled into a routine over the next few days. She would rise early, go for a walk around the grounds, join whoever else was around for breakfast in the kitchen, then return to her room for the day to write, with only a short break for lunch. It was heaven.

Most evenings a group gathered after dinner to sit and talk in the living room, although occasionally a mission would call them away, and Sera would have the entire residential area of the building to herself. She loved those times. She would explore, poking around the various rooms, trying to get a full sense of the enormous residential section of the building.

But most of all, she loved her room. It was huge, with its own bathroom, and best of all a window seat. The seat was quite high up, so that Sera had to climb onto it. But it had a beautiful view of the grounds, and was large enough for her to sit comfortably and spread out her notebooks and laptop.

She was fairly content. She was writing productively. She liked her housemates and they seemed to like her. Except, of course, for Loki.

As far as Sera could tell, Loki kept to himself most of the time. Occasionally she would see Thor join him for a walk outside, but more often than not Thor returned by himself and in a bad mood. Other times she would listen as Loki teased one of the others, and she realized that she appreciated his wicked sense of humor. When it wasn’t focused on her.

Which, unfortunately, it usually was. For some reason, maybe because she was just a regular human, Loki loved to wait until no one else would hear, and then say something to completely discombobulate her. And he always knew exactly what to say.

What was most annoying was that a part of her enjoyed it. She loved a good, sarcastic wit and when occasionally she would think of a solid retort, she could see that he was pleased. Their sparring received some strange looks from the other residents, but somehow Sera couldn’t resist.

Tonight, however, she was tired. Tired of working, tired of being the odd non-superhero out, tired of Loki’s teasing and dark, intense stares when he thought she was not paying attention. She headed for the doors out to the garden, across the lawn, and found a pair of chairs under a tree facing the lake. She sat in one, feet tucked underneath her, gazing out at the water. At last, some peace and quiet. Sera sighed happily. She sat alone for some time, enjoying the darkness and the sound of the few nocturnal birds in the trees.

She felt rather than heard him behind her, and she rolled her eyes. She was not sure how she knew it was him—and did not really want to examine too closely _why_ she knew—but his presence broke the erstwhile peace. _Great, Mr. Sarcasm has arrived to torture me some more_ , she thought.

She gestured to the other chair. “Are you going to sit, or just loom broodingly behind me all night?” She asked. She heard a slight huff behind her in response. She smiled—he had not realized that she knew he was there.

His dark shape appeared at her side, and he lowered himself into the chair next to hers. To Sera’s surprise, he said nothing. For a little while, they sat in relatively companionable silence.

Finally Sera felt that she should make some effort to be civil. “Are they too much for you, too, sometimes?” she asked. Small talk had never been her forte.

Loki nodded brusquely, staring at the lake, and for a moment Sera thought he would not respond.

“They dislike me,” he finally said in a quiet voice. “And with good reason. I have in the past tried to kill one or another of them at various times. Even my brother.” This Sera already knew from Thor.

“I do not blame them. I deserve it,” he continued, and then fell silent again.

“But still,” Sera said. “You live here. You… work with them. And Thor is your brother. He has told me about your past,” she glanced quickly over at him, but he continued to stare out into the dark. “Surely they can’t punish you forever?”

Loki laughed bitterly. “This is hardly a punishment. This is _nothing_. They have been more than generous to allow me to live here. To have any sort of freedom. By rights I should be dead. In return, I have tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. They do not want my company. I have simply tried not to anger them anymore. Violence and chaos used to bring me great pleasure, but now I just want peace.”

Sera was so surprised that she laughed out loud before she could stop herself. Loki’s head snapped around and she froze under his angry glare.

“You find that amusing?”

“No, no,” she reassured him quickly. “It’s not funny at all. It’s just… That’s exactly what I want. I want peace. To write, but also to have peace from other people. From their demands, their judgment. Peace from people. I find them exhausting.”

He nodded. Then his brow furrowed. “I have disturbed your peace here.”

Sera smiled wryly. “Well, you have not been easy to be around, that is true.” She took a deep breath. _May as well ask the burning question_ , she thought. “Why me? You may try not to anger the others, but you tease me all the time. Why even pay any attention to me at all? I’m just the human pet around here.”

“Because I know you,” he responded in a low voice. He turned to face her and opened his mouth as if to respond further.

Thor’s voice boomed ahead of where he was striding across the grass toward them. “Loki! Leave her alone. Go torture someone else for a change. But _not literally!_ ” He added quickly.

Loki’s face hardened and he rose. “So sorry, brother.” Sera noticed that his voice had switched back to his usual cynical tone. “I am just continuing to follow your orders to be… _nice_.”

The corner of his mouth quirked with mischief as he glanced at Sera, and she laughed despite herself, smiling up at him. Loki’s expression briefly changed to surprise, and then quickly returned to neutral.

“I will take my leave of you,” he said, bowing. “Goodnight.”

And then he was gone.

Thor sat heavily on the chair vacated by Loki. Sera felt strangely disappointed. She always enjoyed talking to her friend, but she found herself wishing his brother would come back. When he was not being a complete ass she found his sense of humor endearing. It was so similar to her own. And in a strange way she could understand his desire for solitude as well as connection. _Oh no_ , she thought.

“I apologize for my brother,” Thor was saying. “I do not understand why he refuses leave you alone.” Thor looked at her oddly. “He generally avoids everyone, but especially humans.”

“It’s ok, Thor. I don’t really mind him. He seems lonely,” Sera replied.

Thor’s eyebrows shot up. “Lonely… Well, I suppose he may be, but that is of his own doing.”

Thor leaned forward, his elbows braced on his legs. “I cannot advise you to pursue a... friendship with him, Sera. He is my brother, but he has done truly violent things. Terrible things. You do not know who he is.”

Sera hummed in agreement, but thought to herself, _Don’t I? I wonder… I know bitterness and disappointment. Regret. Not, obviously, regret for killing hundreds of people or trying to take over the world,_ she acknowledged to herself wryly. _But I know what it is to want peace._

 _I know you,_ Loki’s voice echoed in her head.

Thor looked around. “In any case. I wanted to tell you not to come out here alone, at least for the time being.” He shook his head. “Natasha thought she heard something last night, and when she investigated she found a knife dropped on the ground.”

Sera looked at him, shaken. “I thought the house was safe?”

“Inside, yes,” Thor answered. “And usually outside. But we do have occasional… visitors. We shall deal with them. It will be fine, I assure you, but try to have someone with you if you come out here, to be safe.”

Sera stood and stretched, and Thor stood as well. “Well, in that case I think I’d better go up to bed,” she said. “Are you going in?”

Thor nodded, and they walked slowly and companionably back to the house. As they approached the door Sera thought she saw a dark figure lurking nearby, but when she turned her head there was no one there. She knew, however, that it had been Loki watching them.

 _Because I know you_ , she thought.


	4. Sentiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If it’s going to be a world with no time for sentiment, it’s not a world that I want to live in.” ― Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man

Despite their brief truce in the garden, Loki’s teasing only grew worse after their encounter. Sera felt herself on edge even when he was not around. She could not deny that he was spectacularly attractive, but the list of sensible reasons to avoid him was a mile long. For one thing, whenever he would smile at her in that predatory way, or when he whispered a sharp comment in her ear as he passed by, Sera would catch Thor watching them. He was clearly not thrilled about whatever was happening between them, and Sera in no way wanted to upset someone who had been so kind to her.

For another thing, well… She had no illusions about who or what he was. A killer. A liar. God of mischief and lies. Could there possibly be, anywhere in this universe or the next, a man who more completely embodied everything she wanted to avoid?

On the other hand, while his behavior toward her was as antagonistic as ever, she had begun to suspect that he was the one behind the small, strange gifts she had discovered during the past few days. A blood-red rose outside of her bedroom door, which might have been dropped by one of the gardeners, but… a gardener, upstairs? A book of poetry she had once loved and misplaced found on her favorite chair in the library―certainly she had not brought it with her, since she had lost it years ago. How could anyone here even know what it meant to her? A new writing notebook, the type she always used, left in the kitchen near her coffee mug just as she filled her last blank book.

Sera was not sure what to make of any of this. And it troubled her.

That evening she sat slightly apart from the usual group, reading in a comfortable chair while the rest chatted happily. Loki had decided to join them for the first time in some days, but to her relief he also sat apart, on the far side of the room from her. She could feel his presence like a dark beacon, and she struggled to keep her eyes on her book.

Tony and Pepper were having one of their many playful arguments a few feet from where Sera sat. She usually found their relationship comforting—two fully independent people who respected each other but took neither themselves nor the other too seriously.

Sera felt a sudden pang as she watched them, wondering what it would be like to trust someone—to have companionship and understanding. Her own past relationships had been full of lies, her own as well as her partners’, if she was honest. She no longer trusted easily, and preferred to be alone. But sometimes, she wondered.

She stood as unobtrusively as she could and walked to the window to look out into the night. After a minute she felt the awareness of his presence behind her, like both a threat and a comfort. _He would understand_ , she thought, then shook her head to banish the unwelcome thoughts. She opened her mouth to tell him to go away, but he spoke first, drawing up to stand by her side.

“Sentiment,” he said scornfully, gesturing to Tony and Pepper. “It is a weakness.”

He turned from the window to look down at her, his face like stone. After a moment he asked, with no discernable emotion in his voice, “Is it not?”

Sera regarded him, unsure of why he was asking her this, of what he wanted to hear.

He turned to face the window. “I do not understand love. My brother suffered for it. He was willing to leave his home and family for it. They,” he nodded back to the couple behind them, “have suffered due to the work of the Avengers—he could be killed at any time. She could lose him. Why risk such loss? Why do they believe that it is worth the risk?”

Sera searched for the appropriate words, of some way to describe what she both yearned for and dreaded.

“Love is what most people want more than anything,” she finally said. “To find someone trustworthy enough to give your heart to. If they have found that, they’re lucky in a way. But in my experience people lie, to others and to themselves, whether they mean to or not. Everyone wants to believe they are loved, but few of us really are.”

Loki nodded slowly. “And what does love feel like, Sera?”

Sera smiled a little bitterly. “Well, I’m no expert. But I suppose it feels like your heart has been attached to someone. You trust each other. You share an understanding, a knowing of each other.” Sera shook her head. “But to tie your heart to another person,” she said, almost to herself. “Who could possibly be trusted with that?”

Loki looked at her for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then he took her hand and bent to kiss it as he had on her first night at the house. One corner of his mouth quirked upward as he said, “Who, indeed?”

And he turned and walked out of the room without looking back.


	5. Words to Move Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Will it come like a change in the weather? Will its greeting be courteous or rough? Will it alter my life altogether? O tell me the truth about love.” — W. H. Auden

One day Sera finally gave into Steve, who had been asking for days to read some of her poems. She ran upstairs to gather some and brought them down to the living room. They sat together as he read them, Sera answering his questions. He was no natural literary critic, but he was smart and interested and Sera appreciated his efforts.

After some time, Loki strolled into the room and sat in the corner with a book. Lurking. Sera gritted her teeth.

Some time later, when Tony called Steve away, Sera gathered up her papers, intending to exit the room as quickly as possible. But Loki, as always, was quicker. She found him standing suddenly in front of her, blocking her path to the door.

“You would show you work, your heart, to that imbecile,” Loki scoffed. “Why?”

“Well, for one thing he’s _nice_ ,” Sera answered pointedly.

Loki continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Most mortals live shallow lives, with no understanding of truth or art. But you, you are different. You see things. You understand them. You wrestle with what is dark in the world until it is something beautiful. You make words obey you to move the hearts of men.” He looked scornfully at where Steve have gone. “He is not worthy of your time.”

Sera gaped at him, struggling to find some sort of appropriate response to this speech. She felt… immensely flattered. Stunned, even. Understood. Then a thought occurred to her.

“Wait,” she said. “I’ve never shown you any of my writing. Have been looking up my work? Or…”

Sera narrowed her eyes at him. Loki smiled, a slow, knowing smile that curled Sera’s toes. She pushed past him and ran up to her room. Her notebooks had been moved from where she had left them on the bed to the desk in the corner. One was open. _That bastard was in my room_ , she thought.

She heard a low chuckle behind her and whirled around. Angry as she was, she was struck speechless by the sight of Loki leaning against the door frame. The light from the window in the hall illuminated half of his face like an angel’s, the rest in darkness. He filled the doorway, a half smile on his face.

“ ‘When my arms wrap you round, I press my heart upon the loveliness that has long faded from the world,’ ” he recited in a low voice. “Yeats had some merit, even as a mortal poet.”

His eyes glittered her. Sera realized she was staring.

“Sera,” Loki sauntered toward her slowly. “You must stop looking at me like that, or I will not be held responsible for my actions. Should I be concerned for my virtue?”

Sera swallowed. The tirade about privacy she had been prepared to unleash on him had fled her mind. She struggled for something to say.

Loki came to a stop directly in front of her.

“Do you know the problem with being a god, Sera?” His voice was like rough velvet.

“Um… Managing the huge ego?” Sera ventured.

Loki laughed quietly. “Yes, my quick witted one. You are not wrong. But also, a god recognizes fate when she arrives.”

He raised a hand toward her face, then let it drop.

“I dislike fate. When fate appears, I can be sure that the end result will not be what I had so carefully planned. But I know better by now than to question her authority.”

He turned slightly, as if to avoid her gaze. “Would you ever trust me, Sera?”

Startled, Sera muffled a surprised laugh. “Trust you? You’re the god of mischief and lies. How crazy would I have to be to trust you? Why would I?”

 _Because I know you_ , a voice inside her insisted.

“Why would you,” Loki repeated, his voice a perplexed whisper.

Sera looked at him in silence. This beautiful, dark, horribly flawed man… a god. No, she corrected herself. A man. As he stood before her, looking confused and lost, he was a man.

“It feels like your heart has been attached to another person,” he softly quoted her own words about love back to her. “You trust each other. You share an understanding, a knowing of each other.”

He turned back to face her, and his normally blue eyes burned with green fire.

“I know you. I knew you the moment you walked through the door. I wanted to throw my own brother to the wall because you were smiling at him. I wanted to destroy all of those who dared to speak with you—to undo what peace I have created for myself here. To fight them so that you, a mortal woman, might share with me the attention you so freely give to others.”

He paused, and Sera heard her own heartbeat reverberating in her chest.

“But your will is stronger than it has any right to be. And so instead of fighting, I must humble myself ask you: Would you trust me?”

Sera stared, mesmerized by him. She tried to formulate words for what she was feeling, but they would not come.

Footsteps echoed from down the hall, and Loki quickly took several steps away from her. Thor appeared in the doorway, and looked back and forth several times from Loki to Sera. A scowl clouded his usually happy face.

“Oh, hey, Thor,” Sera said quickly. “I was just… Showing Loki some of my writing.”

Loki turned his head and smirked knowingly at her. Sera glared at him. Thor glowered at both of them.

“Sera…” Thor began.

Loki interrupted quickly, taking Thor by the arm and leading him toward the door. “Thor, I wanted to ask you about the upcoming mission. Come with me.”

As he passed through the door he looked back at Sera, his expression serious for once. Sera caught her breath as she recognized the emotions on his face: Longing. Desire.


	6. Well, That Escalated Quickly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Let friend trust friend, and love demand love’s like.” — Robert Browning 
> 
> In which Loki is both heroic and disturbing, and we finally get a little action—of various kinds. Some violence and gore in the form of a fight scene. Smooch warning. Author’s note: writing about dismemberment is surprisingly fun.

Several days passed and Sera had not seen Loki once. She was still struggling to make sense of what had happened between them, of what she felt for him.

Thor eventually managed to pull her aside, despite Sera’s best efforts to avoid him. He had tried to get Sera to confide in him, to find out what was happening between her and his brother, but Sera was not ready to talk. In truth, she herself did not know the answer.

And so her routine continued: writing during the day, and spending the evenings with the other residents. This particular night the team was discussing their latest mission, and Sera listened without having much to contribute. It was growing late, and would soon be time to return to her room and try to get some sleep.

She looked longingly toward the doors to the garden. She had not stepped outside in days, ever since Thor’s warning. She needed some fresh air, even for a minute. She walked over and pushed the door open, standing just over the threshold. She heard the muted sounds of her friends’ voices behind her as they began to file off to bed. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the silence, the breeze, and the moon as it lit the night sky.

Suddenly she was shoved sideways away from the door and into the shadows. A hand grabbed her wrist tightly and wrenched it around her back as she was pulled away from the house. Sera tried to scream, but a hand was clapped hard to her mouth. She looked wildly around.

An angry roar behind her cut through the cloud of her fear. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a dark shape leap from the doorway and toward them. It was Loki, his face savage and his eyes wild. The stranger dropped Sera’s wrist and moved quickly away as she fell to the ground.

Loki was by her side in a moment, lifting her up. Her hands ran over her body, checking for injury. He turned her around to face away from him, and pulled her close as he scanned the area.

“Sera, trust me,” he murmured into her ear. “They will pay for touching you, I swear it. I will make them pay, and I will keep you safe. Will you trust me?”

Sera stood still for one moment, and then ran a hand down his arm. “I will,” she said, and she heard his sharp intake of breath.

“Sera…” he whispered, his breath warm on her ear.

She heard Thor’s voice call her name, and then he was outside standing with them. As they watched, several additional dark figures emerged from behind the trees. Loki released her and ran toward them.

“Thor, what is he doing?” Sera asked. Loki turned around to face them. Sera realized that he was holding two long knives in his hands. _Where on earth did he grab those from_ , she wondered dizzily.

“Thor, take her inside. Get her away from here— _do not allow her to see this_ ,” Loki commanded in a forbidding voice.

“What does he mean, Thor?” Sera asked. Thor said nothing. “I am not leaving, don’t even try to make me.”

“I know.” He sighed. “You are not leaving. You need to see this.” His hands closed on her shoulders, holding her in place.

Sera watched as Loki stalked the intruders one by one like a wild predator. He speared one quickly and spun around to stab another in the throat. Sera winced as a spurt of blood shot from one body onto Loki’s face. He grinned as he swung around and grabbed the wrist of a third, wrenching his arm and then cutting it off. Another was able to stab Loki in his arm before falling. Loki shouted with rage and thrust a knife straight through his neck.

Sera looked up at Thor, but he stood facing forward, expressionless, his hands still firm on her shoulders.

The last intruder backed away from Loki and turned as if to run, but Loki was faster. He drove a knife into the man’s leg and used the leverage to pull his feet out from under him. Sera gasped as in front of her, Loki’s arm and then his whole body suddenly turned blue. From where she stood she could see his eyes glowing a brilliant red. He grabbed the fallen intruder by the neck, and immediately his body turned to ice and shattered. Loki’s skin returned to normal, and he stood for a moment over the last fallen intruder before turning away.

He began walking back to the house, his head bowed. Blood was dripping from his arm and smeared across his face. Several yards from where Sera and Thor stood he looked up, and stopped. He stared at Sera with a growing horror in his face. Then he looked down at his blood-soaked hands.

Sera tried to pull away from Thor.

Thor said quietly, “It is alright, Sera. Let us go inside. You do not need to speak with him.” He took her arm and began to turn her around toward the house.

“Let go of me, you big oaf!” Sera wrenched herself away and ran to where Loki stood. She grabbed his injured arm and looked up at him.

“Loki, your arm! We need to get you inside and get this cleaned up.”

Loki continued to stand completely still, his eyes locked onto on hers. He said nothing.

“Are you ok? Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” Sera ran her hands over his arms and chest, looking for any other injuries. She raised her fingers to his face to touch where his skin was stained with blood, and his hand whipped up to grab her wrist. He pulled her roughly to him and caught her mouth with his. His arms locked around her, and her body immediately thrilled to the hard touch of his. His hands spread over her back and her blood heated.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and rose on her toes to reach him, to find more sensation in the kiss. His tongue ran along her lips, seeking, and she opened to him. She heard him moan and felt his heart pounding in his chest, as she was sure he could feel hers. He ground his mouth down into hers, claiming her.

Loki thrust and withdrew his tongue, his hands pressing harder against her back, possessing her. Sera felt the heat of his kiss through her body, through every inch of her. She kissed him back as passionately. He tasted of wet, dark need.

Eventually Sera heard voices behind them. The others had heard the commotion and run outside. They all stopped around Thor, staring at Loki and Sera.

She pulled away from Loki and took his hand.

“Come on,” she said. “We need to get you cleaned up and have Bruce look at your arm.”

Sera pulled Loki through the small crowd, and they walked slowly up the stairs with most of the rest of them following. Natasha and Clint stayed outside to scan the area and deal with the mess.

Once in Loki’s room, which was as bare and dark as Sera had imagined, Bruce examined Loki’s arm and numerous other cuts and scratches and declared that the most important thing was to get him clean. He pushed a still silent Loki toward the bathroom and Sera heard the sound of a shower. Bruce walked back through the room and quickly went to retrieve medical supplies. He returned to the bathroom and Sera heard muffled arguing.

She realized that she was standing in an awkward huddle with Thor, Tony, and Steve, all of whom were staring at her.

“ _What?_ ” she hissed at them, and they looked away in unison.

A roar erupted from the bathroom and Bruce promptly came out and shut the door behind him.

“I think we’re done here,” he said.

“ _Get out!_ ” She heard Loki’s voice bellow through the door. “That is enough! Get out of my room!”

The group looked at each other and as if in silent agreement, hastily exited the bedroom and without a word went their separate ways.


	7. Angst, and Finally, Some Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “They never learnt to love who never knew to weep.” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
> 
> Smut alert (finally!).

Sera returned to her room, cleaned herself up and changed clothes. She hoped that Loki would calm down enough to get some rest, and that his arm would heal quickly. She ran her finger across her lips, remembering the feel of his. She wished she could go to him. Thank him. Continue… whatever that had been. But he had been clear. She shook her head.

She hopped up onto the window seat and picked up her notebook, her legs hanging over the edge. She suspected that she had no chance whatsoever of accomplishing any productive writing tonight, but she needed a distraction.

The door to her room crashed open. Sera started, dropping her pencil to the floor. Loki stood in the doorway, eyes blazing. He wore only pants, no shirt, his arm bandaged and his feet bare. He strode across the room and placed an arm on either side of where Sera was sitting.

“ _Not you_ ,” Loki growled. “I did not tell you to leave.”

“Loki…” Sera said tentatively. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Loki, you shouted at everyone to leave. You threw us out.”

“Not you!” he repeated savagely. “You were not to leave. Why did you leave me?”

Sera blinked, and looked at him. His expression was fierce, but his eyes looked… hurt. Panicked. Like a wounded animal’s. His face was inches from hers, but his hands remained on either side of her. He was not touching her at all.

“Loki,” she said softly. “I thought you wanted me to go. I would have stayed if you’d asked.”

He looked away and his face relaxed slightly. Sera thought he looked lost. A lost warrior. His eyes returned to hers, and Sera’s breath caught at the longing she saw in them.

“You kissed me,” he said hoarsely.

“Well, actually... “ Sera said carefully. “I’m pretty sure _you_ kissed _me_.”

Loki huffed a short laugh, and Sera smiled. He was coming back to himself.

“You kissed me back,” he said.

“ _That_ is true,” she replied.

“But you saw what I did. What I am. Thor held you there so that you would see. So that you would stay away from me. Why did you not run?”

Sera frowned. “I’m not very happy with Thor. He has no right to tell me what I should want, or what I should do, or who I should…” She broke off.

“But you _saw_ ,” Loki insisted, his expression raw.

“Loki…” Sera lifted a hand to his face and pressed her fingers against his cheek. Loki inhaled and jerked slightly, as if he was not used to being touched. Then he closed his eyes and turned his head so that his lips were against her palm. Sera shivered at the sensation of his mouth on her skin. She felt an echo of their previous kiss reverberate through her body.

“I already knew who you are,” she said softly. “I knew all of this already. I’m not going to run, Loki.”

“But I am a monster. I am a _monster_ , Sera. You should leave here and never return.”

Sera put both hands on his jaw, running her fingers lightly along his cheeks. She could feel him trembling.

“If I wanted to run I would have,” she replied. “I’m not running. I am here with you right now because I want to be. I trusted you, just as you asked me to. And you kept me safe from those intruders, just as you promised.” She sighed. “I’m got a god, or a… superhero. I know about your past, about where you come from, but I’m not a part of that world. I only know you here, as you are right now. And I’m choosing to be here, with you.”

She leaned her forehead against his. How could she make the God of Lies understand this truth? There was no logic to it. She trusted him for reasons even she did not understand. She wanted to be with him. She knew he felt the same about her, but how would she be able to convince him? His scars were so much deeper than she could even begin to fathom.

“I choose you. I’m here with you and I’m not leaving.”

“But, Sera…” He began.

“ _Loki_ ,” Sera laughed in exasperation, and she wound her hands around the back of his neck. He arched his head back against her touch and closed his eyes. “I am happy to talk with you all night. To answer any and all questions you have for me. To be whatever you need. Or…” His eyes opened. “Or I could kiss you.”

He stilled, his eyes glowing emerald in the dim light of the room. Then he swallowed, and nodded stiffly.

“Yes,” he said. “Yes.”

Sera smiled, and leaned forward to touch his lips with hers. It was a jolt of pure electricity, and she heard Loki moan as he deepened the kiss. He finally moved his hands from where they had rested on either side of her, and gently placed them on her waist. She tightened her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, and felt his own hands tighten in return. He was so strong, so large. She could feel how close he was to the edge of control… She liked it.

She slid herself forward on the window seat and wrapped her legs around him, pressing her body against his. She felt him shudder and he turned his head, his lips against her cheek.

“Sera…” he whispered. “I… Are you sure? You do not have to…”

“Loki?” Sera responded. “Shut up and kiss me.”

He obliged, devouring her like a starving man. His hands, previously so still at her waist, were everywhere: up her back, down her spine, memorizing her. His thumbs ran along her stomach, his fingers along her sides. Sera sighed at the feel of his cool touch through her shirt. She realized his hands were shaking, and murmured reassuringly against his lips, running her fingers through his long hair.

She felt a growl rumble in his chest as he tilted her head back to deepen the kiss even further. He slid his hands around to the small of her back and pulled her closer, and she could feel his hardness press against her. She whimpered slightly as he finally broke off the kiss and brushed his lips down her jaw.

“You are mine, Sera,” he whispered. “No one will ever touch you in violence again, I swear it. And,” he continued, running his mouth along her throat, “No one else will ever again touch you in passion. Except for me. Do you understand? You are mine.”

Sera suspected that she should protest this possessiveness on principle, but words were beyond her as he trailed his mouth along her shoulder.

His lips returned to hers and again he kissed her fiercely, desperately. His hands moved lower and she realized he was lifting her, her legs still wrapped around him.

“Loki!” She gasped. “What are you…”

“I want to see you,” he replied, his voice hoarse. “Feel you.”

He carried her to the bed as if she weighed nothing, and sat her down in the middle. Still standing, he reached over and lifted her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it to the floor. She wore no bra underneath, and he stared at her wordlessly. His eyes were hungry, and again Sera felt as if he could see through to her bones, her soul. She crossed her arms in front of her chest defensively.

Loki raised his eyes to hers, and smiled slowly. He joined her on the bed, crawling behind her and pulling her close to him between his legs. He grasped her wrists and drew her arms out to either side. His chin rested on her shoulder.

“Never hide yourself from me,” he said. “You are perfect. Perfect for me, perfect with me.”

He released her wrists and turned his head to press his mouth to her neck. His teeth nipped at her and Sera’s breath hitched. He snapped a finger and the rest of their clothes disappeared. Loki chuckled as Sera turned her head in surprise.

“A shortcut,” he said against the back of her neck. “I could not wait.”

He grasped the back of her left leg and bent her knee, running his hand down the inside of her calf to her foot. He rested his hand there while the other turned her chin toward his face. He kissed the corner of her mouth softly, and his hand drifted down to cup her breast. Sera nearly cried out as his thumb brushed her nipple.

“I want you want me, Sera,” he said in a soft, rough voice. “To stay with me. I want to make you feel such that you will never leave me, never want another.”

His hand slid down further to touch her intimately, his fingers stroking her slowly.

“Let me,” he whispered.

Sera let her head fall back against his shoulder, and she wound an arm behind her around his neck. She could feel his erection pressing urgently against her back, could hear his ragged breathing, yet his fingers moved unhurriedly, as if they had all the time in the world. She wondered at his self-possession when he had seemed so close to the edge of control before.

His breath was warm on the back of her neck as he pushed one and then two fingers inside her, still stroking.

“Loki, _please_ ,” she moaned and arched up toward him. In response he ran his teeth down the side of her neck and nipped her again. His mouth pressed against her throat as he increased the pressure of his fingers slightly, and her world exploded. She moaned aloud and dug her fingernails into his neck she shattered into a million pieces. She dimly heard Loki groan in satisfaction.

She had barely begun coming down from the heights she had reached when she felt Loki release her, and she fell back against the bed. Before she could reorient herself, he was on top of her, his knee pushing her legs apart and his hands grasping her wrists above her head.

Sera looked up at him and realized that any patience on his part had been pretense. His eyes burned with a desperate, frantic desire, and his breathing was harsh and uneven. He thrust into her without preamble, and she gasped, filled to the point of exquisite pain. Loki froze.

“I…” he swallowed, his expression clouded with remorse. “Sera, I did not mean to hurt you. I am…” He began to withdraw from her without finishing the thought.

“No,” Sera said forcefully, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him toward her. “No. You feel so good—please don’t stop.”

He remained completely still for a minute, as if struggling with himself. Then he brushed her lips gently with his.

“You want this,” he said, the statement almost a question.

Sera ran her fingers down his neck and continued along the hard muscles of his back. “Yes,” she said against his cheek. “I want this. I want you.”

Her words unlocked something within him, and he muttered into her hair as he thrust into her. His movements were no longer slow or gentle. She could feel his muscles tense as he slid in and out of her, deeper, as if he was filled with an unsatisfiable need. Sera felt fully possessed by him, consumed and protected at once.

She moved helplessly beneath him, feeling an almost intolerably pleasurable heat build at her center and spread throughout her body, to the tips of her fingers and toes. She arched up under him just as his movements became increasingly uncontrolled and rough. At the last moment he took her mouth with his once again, his tongue sweeping inside of her as they both came apart.

They lay there tangled in each other for some time, until Loki moved to the side and gathered her firmly in his arms. His chin rested on her head as Sera nuzzled into his neck.

“Mine,” he said.


	8. Drunk Loki is a Fire Hazard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My eyes are screaming for the sight of you, and tonight I’m dreaming of all that we’ve been through” — Secondhand Serenade (what can I say, I’ve had them on repeat as I’ve been writing this)
> 
> This takes place some amount of time later, I guess… Gratuitous smut chapter. Apparently booze causes Loki to have separation anxiety. In the cutest way possible, of course. Plus: fire. And smut. Smut smut smut, because I can and because I’m procrastinating what I’m actually supposed to be writing.

Sera lit a few candles around her room as the sun set into twilight. The room had perfectly serviceable high-tech lights, of course, but it was worth a little fire hazard for the ambiance. Sure, the light wasn’t ideal for writing, but even a level-headed woman such as herself enjoyed a little romantic atmosphere sometimes.

She had worked all day, shut in her room enjoying the blessed quiet, and planned to continue as long as she had the energy. Her boys—as she had started thinking of them—had left on a mission early that morning, and the entire building had been peaceful for hours. As always, she worried about them while they were gone. Especially Loki and Thor. But she understood that this was their life, as essential to their being as writing was to hers. And so she waited. They might arrive back tonight, or they might be gone for several days. As long as the peace lasted, she would work.

She settled back on her window seat in the candlelit glow, and set to it. Some time later, the peace was disturbed by a muffled _thunk thunk thunk_ coming up the stairs down the hall from her room.

 _Of course_ , she rolled her eyes. _Why did I ever believe a castle full of testosterone-filled superheroes would be a peaceful place to work?_ Then she smiled, knowing she would not want to be anywhere else.

Jumping down from the window seat, Sera crossed her room and poked her head out the door. It was Vision coming down the hall, looking a little the worse for wear but as cheerful as an android could be.

“Sera!” He waved at her.

“How did it go?” She asked.

“Very well, very well. The usual, fighting off the bad guys, etcetera etcetera. Thor was so pleased he insisted in celebrating down in the hall. He even brought out the good liquor, he said. But… Well, I’m an android, and no one else can keep up with him, so we are all headed to bed for now. Except Loki. He said he will stay with his brother as long as he can.” He winked at her—Sera tried to wrap her head around a winking android—as he continued down the hall. “Good luck with that...”

Sera frowned at his last comment, then shook her head. She was glad that Loki and Thor had come back quickly and safely, but she had seen Thor when he was in the mood for celebrating. If Loki had decided to stay with him, she would not see him tonight. She sighed as she closed the door, a little disappointed but also eager to return to work. Loki made it impossible to ignore him when he was around, and she _did_ want to get some more writing done.

Sera wrote for a while, gazing out the window at the darkening sky, chewing on the end of her pencil. After a while she rose and changed into her pajamas; a thin tank top and a pair of men’s cotton pajama bottoms. She carefully tied up her thick hair, then settled back onto the window seat and continued. She was getting tired, but she felt she had another good hour of writing in her before bed.

Another _thunk_ rattled the hall. Sera closed her eyes. She had thought everyone but Thor and Loki was in bed already. She shook her head and tried to return to work.

 _Thunk thunk thunk_. The noise grew louder.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Sera exclaimed.

She slid down from the seat. She crossed the room again, and opened the door. Down the hall she could see an obviously very drunk Thor clomping up the stairs and along the hallway. He had Loki’s arm slung over his shoulder as they weaved their way toward Sera. Loki was barefoot but still wearing his armor. He seemed to be trying to explain something very seriously and with great intensity to Thor, who was laughing at him in return.

They stopped at Sera’s door and she raised her eyebrows at Thor.

“Sera! Loki was just describing your many virtues and excellent qualities to me. It’s quite a long list for a mortal, if you ask me.” He laughed loudly. Sera blushed.

At her name Loki’s head swung around and his brilliant eyes pinned her to where she was standing in the doorway.

“ _Sera,_ ” Loki said. He unwrapped his arm from Thor’s shoulder and stumbled to her, nearly knocking her over.

“Loki!” Sera laughed and wrapped her arms around him, pushing back so they would not fall.

“ _Sera,_ ” Loki said again, this time against her neck. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tightly to him, nuzzling her neck, her throat, her ear. Sera felt her knees weaken.

She looked over his shoulder and threw a panicked look at Thor. He laughed again and put up his hands.

“He’s all yours.” He chuckled and continued down the hall, singing softly to himself.

Sera backed up a few steps so that they were inside her room, and barely managed to shove the door shut before Loki’s weight pushed her backward across the floor. She felt the backs of her thighs hit the side of the tall bed. His warm breath tickled the hollow of her throat just before he licked her there, tasting. He pressed his body even closer and she could feel the weight of him as well as the intensity of his desire. Sera realized that she was trapped against the bed by a large, drunk, and thoroughly aroused god. _Oh dear,_ she thought.

“Sera,” he whispered against her throat. “I missed you so much. Please don’t leave me again.”

Sera untangled herself from his nuzzling just enough to answer. “Loki, you’re the one who went away, remember? And it was just for the day. You went on a mission while I stayed here.”

Loki shook his head against her neck. “No,” he said roughly. “No, that can’t be right. I would never leave you.”

He finally raised his head, and his eyes were hazy with desire and alcohol but still shockingly intense in the candlelight. “I never want to leave you. I want to be with you every minute.” He licked along her bottom lip and Sera shivered. “Every day.” He kissed down her throat. “I will never leave you.”

The candles around the room flickered and brightened for a second. Sera swallowed.

“Loki…” Sera said cautiously, trying to push him away from her slightly so that she could breathe and possibly gain some control of the situation. In response, Loki groaned and Sera found herself lifted up in the air and pushed flat onto the bed, his body pressing her into the mattress.

“Don’t leave me.” His voice was a rasp. He nudged her legs apart with his knee and pressed himself against her. Sera gasped as his hardness rubbed against her most vulnerable spot. His hands braced against the mattress on either side of her head, effectively trapping her. His mouth caught hers and devoured her. His lips ground against hers and his tongue stroked, teased, and demanded, frantically claiming her. Sera reached her hands up to tangle in his hair and stroke down the corded muscles of his neck, and he groaned again. Out of the corner of her eye, Sera saw a few sparks shoot upward from the candlelight and into the dark.

Loki leaned his forehead against her shoulder. “Sera,” He said again. She could feel his heart pounding against his chest. She combed his long hair back from one side of his face with her fingers and tucked it behind his ear, trying to comfort him. She heard him inhale deeply, as if he wanted to absorb her scent.

“Loki,” she reassured him. “I’m here. I didn’t go anywhere. And I missed you, too. I’m glad you’re safe.” She kissed his ear and she felt him shudder.

He kissed down her throat, licking occasionally as if he needed to not only touch her, but taste her, as well. He continued downward, kissing across her chest and taking the tip of one breast in his mouth, right through her shirt. The sensation of his hot mouth and the rough fabric of her shirt sent a jolt of sheer pleasure through her, and she moaned as she arched up against him. His tongue rubbed roughly against her nipple and she dug her hands back into his hair. “ _Loki_ ,” she breathed.

He raised his head and looked at her with such longing Sera thought she would cry. “You missed me,” he whispered.

“Yes, of course I did. I always miss you when you’re gone,” she replied unevenly, breathing heavily herself now.

Loki pushed himself forward on his elbows and kissed the corner of her mouth. He shook his head. “I would never leave you.” Then he sat up, pulling her with him, and in one movement drew her tank top over head and tossed it to the floor. His hands cupped her breasts as he stared at them intently, lustily, his thumbs brushing over her nipples.

Sera felt disoriented, and braced herself against his shoulders with her hands. She laughed shakily. “Loki!”

His hands stilled. He raised his gaze to hers, and again Sera thought she would cry at the emotion she saw there. “Do you not want this?” He asked, his voice dark and hoarse. “Do you not want me?”

Immediately Sera lifted her hands to his face, cupping his jaw. She rose on her knees and leaned over to kiss down his forehead, nose, and along the edges of his mouth.

“Of course I want you!” She sighed deeply and laced her hands behind his neck. “I want you. I missed you. I love you. I love that you’re here. Please never doubt that.”

Loki closed his eyes and swallowed. Sera felt as if her heart would break for all of the times he had felt unwanted, unloved. He needed this, she knew. Needed her, needed her to love him. To show him how he was loved.

She brushed her fingers against his cheeks and down his neck, then lowered them to the front of his armor. His eyes opened as she began unbuckling, his expression a mixture of wonder and desire. She smiled as the top of his armor came undone and fell away to the floor. She ran her hands over the cool skin of shoulders, the pale and hard planes of his chest, lightly raking her fingernails over his nipples. Loki inhaled sharply, but remained still as she continued exploring. Sera adored the feel of him: the lengths of his muscles, the way his skin trembled underneath her hands as if he was still not used to being touched, but craved it desperately.

She leaned forward for a moment, pressing her breasts against his torso, enjoying the feel of her warm skin against his coolness. She took the lobe of his ear in her mouth and he shuddered, but continued to remain still. She kissed his neck, breathing in the spicy, male scent of him, and licked the hollow of his throat as he had done to her. He moaned and shuddered again but did not move. Sera sat back again and her hands fell lower to his pants, and she began unbuckling those, as well.

Loki‘s head fell back and he moaned as she released his cock from where it had been pushing against his clothing. She took its hard length in her hands. The skin was so hot compared to the rest of him, and he was so hard. A drop of moisture formed on the tip as she ran her hands up and down his shaft. He leaned back on his hands as she continued stroking with one hand, the other tracing up along the sensitive inside of his thigh. His breath became ragged and Sera could see he was losing what little control he had tonight.

Suddenly he groaned again, fiercely, and pushed her back against the bed. He kicked his pants off and reached down to hers. She heard the fabric tearing and gasped as he ripped her pajamas from the waistband down to the legs and pulled them off, tossing them to the side.

“Do you want me?” he growled. His hands were all over her body, stroking every part of her as if to memorize her. As if they had been apart for months, not one day.

“ _Yes_ , Loki,” Sera replied on a gasp. “Of course. Of course I want you.”

In an instant he was inside her, filling her completely, moving roughly inside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on tightly as a warm, exquisite pleasure consumed her. To be wanted this desperately—to be _needed_ so—was like nothing she ever imagined, nothing she could have ever thought to ask for.

Loki pushed his large hands under her hips and held her even more tightly against him as he thrust into her. She was fairly sure she would find bruises in a number of interesting places in the morning, but she did not care. The angle of his thrusts caused Sera’s very center to be rubbed in the most sublime way, and she cried aloud at the pleasure of it. There was no rhythm as he moved against her, no logic, just urgency and and single minded desire. Sera heard the candle flames crackle and spark alongside Loki’s moans and her own. He buried his face in her neck again as if he could find her essence there.

Sera wanted this moment to last forever, to enjoy Loki’s complete abandon for as long as possible, so she pushed him with all of her strength and managed to roll him over onto his back. He regarded her with an expression of surprise as she settled herself back onto him, and then—finally—smiled his beautiful, wide, heart-wrenching smile, and laughed. Sera leaned down and kissed him. She kissed his mouth, his cheeks, his forehead, and along his ear and down his neck. _You are loved, know that you are loved_.

Loki took her head in his hands and pulled her lips back to hers. He began to move against her, encouraging her to move with him. He released her head and gripped her waist, pulling her closer, moaning her name. Sera quickly felt her own climax build and then shatter into a thousand sparks, brighter and hotter than any fire. She felt Loki tense and then his own release exploded within him, as he arched up against her and shouted her name. The room was bright as daylight for a moment as the candles flared up nearly to the ceiling, and then the room returned to a soft darkness. As she lay on top of him, Sera felt him bite and then kiss the tender skin on her neck, and then his head fell back, eyes closed.

After several minutes, Sera sat up and gently extricated herself from Loki’s arms. She slid over the side of the bed to stand. His eyes opened slightly. “Don’t go,” he said softly.

She stood next to him and kissed his forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in a second. I just have to put out these fires.”

“Fires…” Loki repeated, and then he closed his eyes and Sera smiled as she heard a small snore.

She padded around the room naked and barefoot, extinguishing the candles and the few places their flares had caused various objects to smolder—a blank writing notebook, a shirt she had left on the table, the edge of a wooden box on her dresser. She shook her head.

Once finished, Sera climbed back onto the bed and pulled the soft blankets over both of them. She curled herself around Loki’s unmoving body and smiled again. Writing could wait.


End file.
